Grapevine: Fledgling Trend to Consider in Wine Innovations
In my travels through the wine world, whether caressing a handful of soil or the keyboard on my computer, I always keep a peripheral watch for new trends, wines or approaches to the marketing of wines.
I recently came across a fledgling trend that may portend the future of winemaking offerings.
As a wine journalist I’m frequently offered wines to sample and write about. I rarely accept these; every so often I come across an offering that has a unique twist to the thousands of wines screaming for attention on wine shop shelves. So it was that I recently accepted samples of a new wine label just arriving in our local markets.
At first blush the new wine label was a bit off-putting, a bit too ostentatious. But the pedigree is excellent.
The Marvelous Wines brand is the brainchild of a top South African winemaker and a top South African chef, backed financially by a new investor in South African wines. Together they have created blended wines that should appeal to the typical American palate: pleasing fruit, medium acidity and mild tannins.
The expertise of each team member is highly recognized and lauded. One is the winemaker at the famous Mulderbosch Winery, another is the executive chef for the South African Relais and Chateaux high-end resort chain and the third is the controlling partner in Terroir Selections, a growing U.S.-based winery investment conglomerate.
What makes this partnership unique, other than their pedigrees, is the approach they have taken to pairing wine and food. At Marvelous Wines, the pairing takes place during the production phase of the wine. The winemaker, Adam Mason, and the chef, Peter Tempelhoff, work together to create a balance of blended wines that pair with specific recipes–that can also be easily mixed and matched with similar ingredients to those suggested by Tempelhoff.
Mason gained acclaim as the winemaker at Mulderbosch Winery before taking a parallel path under the financial wing of Charles Banks, who had recently acquired the Mulderbosch winery.
Here is a review of the two Marvelous Wine blended offerings I’ve sampled along with recipe suggestions from Tempelhoff, who favors local South African ingredients. This offers Americans a new twist but may require a bit of foraging.
Marvelous Yellow 2012 (with a “K” stamped on the top of the bottle foil for its hyperbolic name, Kapow!): A blend of Chenin Blanc (60 percent), South Africa’s signature white grape, Chardonnay (30 percent) and Viognier (10 percent), this wine creates a fresh and aromatic profile of fruit and acid. The underlying tropical fruits of the Chenin Blanc are complemented by the peach aromas of the Viognier, offset by the fresh acidity of the Chardonnay. Retail price: $15.
Chef’s pairing suggestion: “Malay scented prawn risotto with heaps of coriander & lime is a perfect match for this white blend. There is more than enough fresh acidity in the wine to handle a good squeeze of the lime, and the wood is just enough to compliment the buttery risotto.”
Marvelous Red 2011 (with an “S” stamp, for Shazam!): A blend of Syrah (83 percent), Grenache (9 percent), Mouvedre (5 percent) and Viognier (3 percent), I found peppery aroma and flavor that were well-balanced with dark fruit elements. The medium-intensity profile reminded me somewhat of a Southern Côtes du Rhône, but with a unique spiciness I attributed to the local growing conditions of South Africa. Retail price: $15.
Chef’s pairing suggestion: “Our Karoo lamb is especially suited, as it feeds on the fynbos herbs which come through in the flavour of the fat. Braised springbok shoulder is also a no-brainer, as the wine’s velvety texture harmonises perfectly with the rich saucy meat.”
Since the end of apartheid in the mid-1990s, South Africa has marketed heavily into the United States with limited and sporadic success. Perhaps this new approach will prove successful.
Nick Antonaccio is a 35-year Pleasantville resident. For over 15 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
